CONCORD, N.H. - Jamie Smith, 28, of Raleigh North Carolina was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to one count of possession of materials to manufacture methamphetamine, and one count of conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Emily Gray Rice.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about Jan. 29, 2016, co-defendants picked up Jamie Smith from a bus station in Vermont. Soon after getting in the car, Smith dictated a list of ingredients used for making methamphetamine which a co-defendant wrote down a piece of paper. During the drive from Vermont to Lebanon, New Hampshire, Smith and his co-defendants made various stops to purchase ingredients used for making methamphetamine. After purchasing the necessary ingredients, the defendants returned to a residence in Lebanon, New Hampshire where Smith began the process of making methamphetamine. When police arrived, he attempted to dispose of the methamphetamine mixture by pouring it in a toilet, which the Court determined created a substantial risk of harm to human life and the environment.
A search warrant executed at the residence uncovered materials that a New Hampshire State police forensic laboratory chemist determined are collectively consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing via the one-pot method. The chemist also determined that two samples taken from the apartment indicated the presence of methamphetamine. In addition, the defendant admitted to making threats to a potential witness in an attempt to dissuade that witness from testifying at his sentencing hearing.
United States District Judge Joseph DiClerico sentenced Smith. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge DiClerico ordered Smith to serve, upon his release from prison, a term of supervised release of 3 years.
“This sentence reflects DEA’s strong commitment to bring to justice those that manufacture methamphetamine," said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Ferguson. “DEA and its local, state and federal law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to keep this highly addictive drug off the streets of New Hampshire. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in New Hampshire and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue anyone who manufactures this poison."
“Methamphetamine manufacturing presents a serious danger to the public. Too often, those who attempt to manufacture this illegal drug do so in a way that presents a high risk of fires and explosions. Each day, brave law enforcement officers in New Hampshire are at risk of encountering these toxic and potentially deadly clandestine laboratories. I commend the Drug Enforcement Administration for its ongoing efforts to protect our state from these dangerous drug labs," said U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lebanon, New Hampshire Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Georgiana L. Konesky.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
